Shock absorber



C. M. GARLAND.

SHOCK ABSORBEH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I, 1919.

lPatented Fem, 1922.

UNITED 1 ,sfrAn/zsf Farrar*fi-omer. y

CLAUDE M. GARLAND, or CHICAGO, ILLiNoIs.

snocx Aasonnnn.

i' To @ZZ 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE M. GARLAND, a citizen of the United States, residingin Chicago, in the county ol Cook and State of lllinoi's, have invented new and useful Improvements in' Shock Absorbers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices commonly known as shock absorbers which are used to prevent the sudden rebound of the frame of a vehicle due to the action of the springs onstriking an irregularity in the road. The

vo'bject of my invention is to produce a shock l absorber which is simple in construction and 15 silent in operation.

'These things -I accomplish 1n a man.-

ner which will best beundersteod by refer- 'rin'g to the drawings which. form a part V'of the specification a'nd the accompanying description. y

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a side elevation of one `of my shock absorbers with the coverremoved, applied 'to the frame oli an automobile. Figure 2 showsa front elevation also 'with the end Vremoved while Figure 3 shows a section on "the line B B ol Figure 1A Figure 4 Shows a section on the line A A of Figure 3. Like numerals refer to like parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the frame of the automobile to which the spring 2, made up of the leaves 18 is rigidly attached by means of the pivot 16. To the spring 2 is rigidly connected by means of the bolts 3, the axle 5.

"The shock absorber consists of a flat-U shaped spring G, to the ends of which are bolted by means of the screw bolts 13 and 19, the intermeshing blocks 7 and 8. EX- tending between these blocks is a flexible strip 12 which is made out'of either canvas or leather and which is connected at 22 to the shaft 5 by means of a clip 4. The buckle 17 is used to clamp down the end of the strip12. The strip y12 passes around the intermeshing block 7 vand is clamped between this block and vthe spring 6. The

' spring 6 is rigidly attached to the frame v1 Specication of Letters Patent.- 4Patented Fb. 7,1922. Application nea August 1, 1919; serial No. 314,628.

pressions 23 yin 'the oppositeblock. Ther-e are preferably a plurality of corrugatione in the face of each block. Figure 3 shows a section on the line B E of Figure 1- while figure 4 shows a section on the line A of Figure 3. At the top of each tooth and on each side is located a shroud 20'wh'iclrtends to prevent the strip 12 slipping from between the intermeshing blocks 7 and 8.

The blocks 7 and 8 are preferably attached near the ends of the spring 6 in order toA obtain advantage of the full length of the spring in defl'eoting. This permits deeper meshin and' thereby a small number of teeth wi l take. up a large amount of slack in the strip 1 2.

The shock absorber is enclosed within a sheet meta-l casing 11 which is provided with a removable cover 14 which yis normally held in placeby means of the screws` 15 which fasten the removable cover to the vided in the bottom of the sheet metal casing 11 kfor the passage of the strip 12. A slot 2li-is also provided in the side of the 'v case 11 for the admission oif' the bracket 9 to which the casing 11 is riveted by means of therivets 10.

The vshock absorber is preferably applied in a horizontal position as shown in Figure 1. It may, however, be applied in a vertical position or at any angle tothe frame as may be desired.

The operation of 4the device is as follows: lVhen the automobile is at rest' one end o'flhe flexible strip 12 is rigidly connected at 22 to some part ofthe axle 5 through any suitable means. attached to some part on the frame by bolting the spring 6 or the block 7 to some form of bracket 9 rigidly attached toI the frame. The tensionin the strip 12 is adjusted by means of the buckle 17 so that the shock absorber is held open and the strip 12 approximates a straight line' extending between the blocks 7 and 8 when the automobile frame is in -its normal position. When vthe strip through. the shock absorber thus approximates a straight line, `the frame 1 and the spring 2 are in their normal. spaced relation* whichus also the maximum spaced relation ofthesepartsfor in order for the frame' to .riseto ajhigher spaced relation'with respect to the springythe strip 12 m'iist eitherbreak or stretch. This feature of the device, which always brings the frame to restin its The shock absorber is ,tlhenA llt) normal position isof the first importance in the sto ping of synchronous vibrations set up in t e frame by the vehicle passing over "equally spaced. bumps which frequently occurs In such occurrences, on striking the first bump, ther frame descends and by the time lthe second bump is -struck the frame is ascending and is given additional momentum by the striking of the second bum and if a-third bump also is Astruck as thelv rame is again rising, an ordinary shock absorber device which does not stop the frame in yits normal position will allow these .vibrations of the frame' to gain in amplitude from bump to bump and will render the use of the shock absorbing device of strip little value. i When' the automobile is in motion and an [descends pressing down the spring 2 which produces a certain amount of slack in the Y 12. Whenthis'slack is produced the s ring 6' depresses the block 8 so that it eshes with the block 7 thereby pressing the strip 12 into mesh between thefblocks 7 and 8 thereby taking up the slack produced l bythe defiectlon ofthe spring 2. Immediately after the spring 2 is defiectedl there is a re-'action which suddenly tends to throw up the frame l. This sudden throwing up of the frame 1 where the shock absorber is f not used throws this frame 1 up very rapid- 1 which not only throws' the passengers filom the seats of the automobile but throws the frame. 1 higher than its normal position and therefore tends to break the main leaf of the spring 2. When the shockfabsorber is applied the spring re-acts. to throw the frame 1 upward but due to the fact that the slack of the strip 12 has been taken up in the meshing of the blocks 7 and 8 the reaction of the spring 2 must pull this strip 1 to rise higher than the normal position shown in the Figure 1. The combined friction of the strip 12 in pulling out of the intermeshing blocks 7 :and '8 a ainst the action of the spring 6 is `also su cient to prevent the sudden risc bf the frame 1. The

, result is that the automobile rides over rough roads with a minrnum 'of shock and disturbance to the occupants.

vInstead of using the two intermeshing blocksmbolted tothe ends of the lU shaped Jspringthe ends of the spring may be corrugated to lform the intermeshing surfaces.

irregularity in the road is struckthe framev the objection that it makes the'spring longer than is desirable for the purpose and the corrugations in the spring are much heavier than the lintermeshing blocks which are preferably made of aluminum. V

It will be noted from the construction of the shock absorber that there are no loose parts. This prevents the possibility of noise which is always objectionable in a device of' this character. It Will also be seen that a compact, simple arrangement is provided which is eiicient and silent in action. While the elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the urpose for which they are intended, itis to e understood that the invention is not limited to the precise con struction se'tforth but includes within its purview such changes as ma be made within the scope of the appende claims. lVhat I claim is: 1. In combination witha vehicle frame,

an axle and a spring disposed between the. axle and frame., a iiexible strip, one end.

whereof is connected to said axle while the other end is connected to' said vehi'cleframe,y

a pair of members arranged in opposing relatlon on opposite sides of saidlexible strip and provided with corrugated'l surfacesy adapted `to vmesh with one 4another when said members are brought into-,juxtaposi tion, and resilient means normally tending to force said members intomeshing relation with said flexible strip therebetween.

2.' The combination of a vehicle frame, a' i vehicle axle, a vehicle spring there-between, rigidly attached' one end of a flexible stri to the said `vehicle axle, t e op site end of the said flexible' stripv attache to the said vehicle frame, a pair of intermeshing blocks for taking up the slack in the said flexible strip, a spring attached to each of the saidintermeshing ocks and adapted to hold the said blocks in mesh, the said spring beingy rigidly attached to the said vehicle frame.

3. In a device of the character described a pair of intermeshing blocks, a flexible strip extending between the said intermeshing blocks, a spring for holding the said blocks in mesh, means for' attaching the' said spring to the frame of a vehicle, means for attach'- ing one end of the said flexible strip to the frame of the said vehicle and means for attaching the opposite end of the said flexible strip tocthe axle of the said Vehicle. LLlln a device of the character described intermeshing means, a flexible'strip eXtending between the saidintermeshin means, resilient means for holding the lsad intermeshing means in mesh, means for a tachingthe said intermeshing means tothe vehicle frame, means for attachlng one end of the 'and means for attaching'the opposite end Vof the said flexible strip to the vehicle axle. 4`Whilel thisis a simple arrangement it'hasy 5. In a device ofthe character described said flexible strip to the said vehicle frame i a, pair of blocks, corrugated surfaces forma pair of intermeshing blocks, s. flexible strlp extending between the ysaidintermeshing blocks, a spring for holdin the said blocks in mesh, common means or attaching one end of the Asaid s ring, one end of the said exible strip an one of the said intermeshing sylocks to a vehicle frame and means for 'attachiig the opposite end of the said flexible strip to the axle of a vehicle.

6. In :r1-device of the character described, a pair ofcorrug'at'ed surfaces, a exible strip extending between the said` corrugated surfacesanda spring adapted to hold the said surfaces in mesh.

7; In a device ofthe character described,

ing the inner faces of said blocks, the corrugation oi said surfaces being adapted to iesli with each other, a flexible Strip extend- 0 between the said corrugated surfaces, a spring for holding the corrugated surfaces n of the said blocks in mesh, one end 'of the yit said flexible strip connected to the said spring and the opposite end of the said str p provided with adjustable means for adJ'isting the length thereof.

8. In a device of the type described a U shaped spring, a block rigidly attached' to one end of the said spring a corrugated surface formed on the inner side of the said block, a block rigidly attached to the other end of' the said spring, the inner surfaces of the last named block also being corrugated, the corrugations of the first named block adapted to mesh with the corruga tions of the last named block, a flexible strip extending between the corrugations of the said blocks, one end ot the said flexible strip adapted to fasten to the frame ofthe vehicle, the opposite end of the said flexible strip adapted to fasten to the axle of a vehicle a rigid connection between the said frame and the said U shaped spring and a casing enclosing the said device'.

9. In a device of the characterdescribed a U shaped spring, a pair of intermeshing surfaces forming the end of the said U shaped spring, a flexible strip extending between the said surfaces, one end of the said strip adapted to connect to the axle of a vehicle the. opposite end of the said strip adapted to connect to the saidvU shaped spring and means for connecting the said U shaped spring;r to the frame of a vehicle.

l0. In adevice of thecharacter described, a U shaped spring, one of a pair of intermeshing blocks attached to each end of the said U shaped spring, a ilexible strip exltendingcg between the said intermeshng blocks, and a shroude'at each end of each thereby, and normally tending to maintain the said elements in spaced relation.

12. A device of the character described, comprising a yielding element adjustably se-` cured at the ends to the frame and running gear-of a vehicle and a pail-vof corrugated members disposed on the opposite side of the said yielding element adapted to normally press the said element in opposite directions and provide frictional relation therewith.

'13. A. device of the character described comprising a yielding element adjustably secured lat one end 'to the running gear o a vehicle; a pair of members disposed on opposite sides of the said yielding element securely attached to the said vehicle frame and adapted to normally press said element in opposite directions and provide frictional relation therewith, and the opposite end of the said yielding element securely attached to one of thesaid-pair of' members oppositely disposed.

14.A device of the character described comprising oppositely movable members provided with correlated surfaces securely attached to one lof the parts of a vehicle to. be controlled, compression means for forcing said members toward each other, yielding means adapted to be secured' at one end to one of the said oppositely movable members, the opposite end of said yielding means securely attached to the otherl of the said vehicle .parts to be controlled so as to be adjusted taut when the two 

